Orison
by the aspiring cynic
Summary: If only God would hear their prayers. A one-shot constituted by the eccentric personalities of Deicide.


Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.

-Philip K. Dick

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.

Summary: If only God would hear their prayers. A one-shot constituted by eccentric personalities of Deicide.

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><p><strong>AN: It is highly recommended that y****ou read Deicide before this one-shot but that's your choice. Reviews are welcome, especially those concerning Ryuuzaki's character. I'm still learning how to write him.**

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><p><strong>Orison<strong>

Ashley was that dumb blonde seated within the middle of the class. She was notoriously known for her fickle questions and temperament. Because in all truth, she was as petulant as a five-year-old and no one would stop her. She would be the one to ask the obvious questions. She was the reason why the teacher would roll his eyes and repeat his statement for the umpteenth time. But everyone would merely shrug at her childish antics; it was simply part of her charm.

If Lea was to be voted most likely to be the future president of the United States, then Ashley would be the one to never grow up. One could argue that she was the most naïve out of all her friends. But maybe that was because no one ever stopped to think whether Ashley was really as slow as she seemed. No one ever asked Ashley what she had received on the English final; no one ever bothered asking Ashley for help with Trigonometry.

Ashley wasn't stupid; she was just had pedantic tendencies. She was always paying close attention to every tiny, seemingly insignificant detail. This was probably why when she had first met Lea, she had seen something completely different than everyone else. Although Lea definitely had that magnetic personality that was more effective than a whirlpool, Ashley could see another thing in her eyes. She didn't think it was sadness or loneliness. It wasn't pitiful; on the contrary, it was intimidating. Those sharp green eyes had still been glossed by innocence but even then Ashley could remember the gooseflesh she received just by staring Lea in the eyes. It was akin to an adrenaline rush but much more addictive. It was impossible to even comprehend the amount of charisma the girl had even at such a young age.

Lea had always been everyone's idol. But with Lea dominating the limelight, Ashley was able to quietly bide her time in peace. No one would notice Ashley, the second-in-command, hiding in the shadows. And that's were she resided ever since she had first befriended Lea. Because of Lea, Ashley was able to live the mundane, peaceful life of a teenager. She was in the clique but handled none of the stress. Ashley didn't have to worry about looking her absolute best 24/7. Ashley didn't have to be the reliable, intelligent class president that everyone counted on. Nope. That was Lea's job. Ashley was merely the secretary that could occasionally space out during the meetings without severe consequences. From time to time, Ashley wondered how things would be different if the roles were reversed. What if Lea was the airhead and Ashley took her stead?

But Ashley didn't let it bother her. She was content with her comfortable role. She was happy with her life and wouldn't ask for anything else. She certainly wasn't the type to hold a grudge; it just wasn't in her nature. Lea was Lea and Ashley was Ashley; she would never want it any differently.

But her normally predictable life seemed to morph into something else entirely. The first sign of change she had observed was when she had first met Daniel. It had taken just one look at his caramel eyes and Ashley knew she was hooked. But those same eyes were also rather sinister. She couldn't help but notice how Lea carried herself around Daniel's presence. Lea just seemed so much more **fragile**; completely different from her usual assertive attitude. Lea was just so engulfed in his every word and action. It was rather frightening, Ashley noticed, but she didn't say a word. After all, she was supposed to be the airhead. An airhead wouldn't be as perceptive to notice when Lea would flinch as she stared into Daniel's eyes. An airhead wouldn't be able to see the glimmer of crimson that flashed in Daniel's eyes when he was irritated. An airhead wouldn't notice when her best friend lied to her.

But Ashley had known that she had never met Daniel in her life. Ashley simply played along to humor Lea. She knew it would be better for her in the long run. Honestly, Ashley didn't want to know what those two plotting anyways. Whether it was legal or illicit, she knew that it wasn't worth the trouble. But she had felt disheartened and betrayed when Jenna began lying to her as well. It had begun when they first started talking about Cole on the day of the party. The news of their breakup had spread like wildfire on Facebook and the two began gossiping about the supposed "it" couple. Or, at least, Ashley had tried to gossip while Jenna ignored her. Jenna would repeatedly brush off attempts of conversation when Ashley had mentioned Cole. Her face was twisted into a neutral expression; a mask that Ashley had never seen Jenna wear until now.

But Ashley didn't let it annoy her. She didn't mind because she knew Jenna would be back to normal soon. Jenna was the only other person that Ashley felt that she could truly trust. Sure, Jenna would ruthlessly tease and insult her but Ashley knew she didn't do it out of spite. Jenna was just scared and vulnerable. Jenna had never been quite the same after Lea had invited her into their clique. Contrary to common belief, Ashley did remember that Jenna's real name was Juanita. In fact, Ashley could still remember when Juanita was shy and spoke in accented English. Juanita had not been as invisible as she thought.

Ashley wasn't the idiot others presumed she was. Sure she didn't necessarily pay attention in history and who cared about Spanish?

But even the airhead could sense when her friends changed.

Whether they were for better or for worse, well, Ashley was sure that it was best that she simply played ignorant.

After all, no one hated an airhead. But everyone loathed a perceptive blonde.

Ashley was never religious but she liked to pretend she was. Especially since everyone around her had morphed into something completely foreign. Her mother was a Protestant while her father was Jewish but neither was particularly devoted to their faith. Ashley wasn't even quite sure which God she would pray to, weren't they all the same? What difference would it make if she even prayed to God anyways? He probably didn't exist; creationists insisted that it was possible for the entire universe to be born from a single bang. Why was it necessary to have a powerful being watch after humanity?

Ashley wasn't actually drunk when Jenna and Daniel interrogated her about Lea's whereabouts. She was barely tipsy and perfectly steady on her feet. But she had merely mimicked a true drunk.

Life was nothing more than a game to Ashley. The sole objective of said game was to live life as apathetically as possible. She had long deceived others by her petulant behavior and ignorant exterior. Truthfully, she was fully aware of her actions and the consequences.

She had actually been the one to witness Lea's kidnapping but had done nothing to even prevent the act. She had looked on as the rag of chloroform disoriented her best friend and Donovan dragged her unconscious pre-mortem corpse down the hallway towards the exit. And all she had done was sip her spiked fruit punch.

Because even if she had tried to prevent the kidnapping, what good would it possibly bring? The worst case scenario involved the death of both Lea and herself. Ashley also doubted the police would have been any help. Frankie had connections with the corrupted system; no police would arrive at the party even if a mass homicide occurred, forget a kidnapping.

Nope, it was better that she had stood still and did nothing. Ashley was fairly sure that Donovan wouldn't do anything drastic. He had always claimed that he adored Lea from abyss that was his soul. So, it would be logical to assume that Lea was in safe hands despite being captured by the man.

Huh, maybe she _was_ drunk. To ensure this, Ashley guzzled down several other cups and felt her vision blur.

The next thing she remembered was waking up in her bed with her party clothes still intact. For a while, she gazed upwards at the ceiling and heard the shrieking silence. She sluggishly got out of bed and tripped her way towards her parent's liquor cabinet.

She sidestepped the alcohol completely and fumbled with the drawers until she came across the Bible her father kept within. She could never understand why her father had a Bible since he wasn't even Christian but she digressed. The leather was coated with a fine dust and it rested in loneliness for it was the sole object in the entire drawer. Ashley shook off the dust and clasped it with her hands.

She hadn't touched a Bible since she visited her maternal grandparents. She remembered staring at her own name written within the family Bible that had been in her family for generations.

The pages fell open and Ashley stared at the ink, hoping that she would find anything that would make her feel something.

But the letters sneered at her as she reread the same line over and over.

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><p>"What haven't they told me?" Jenna's voice cracked as it reached an unhealthy octave.<p>

"Jenna, I'm Astraea." Lea's voice seemed to echo in Jenna's head long after the words had been spoken.

The overwhelming shock felt like she had been struck by lightning then smote by an enormous tidal wave. Her knuckles were clenched white and Jenna was sure that she would find crescents forever tattooed on her palms as she felt her fingernails dig into her flesh.

She couldn't register what Donovan was saying; she was too stunned to look away from Lea's eyes. The disbelief she should have felt never came. Everything just made perfect sense. Lea was Astraea. Astraea was Lea. Synonymously, her idol and savior blended together until neither was distinguishable from each other.

Yet there was another feeling, a feeling that was much too real to ignore. The fear clenched with a death grip and refused to release her insides. Her heart had long collapsed since the shock and now Jenna could only feel the empty terror within her veins.

She wasn't exactly sure why she felt fear. Perhaps it was the realization that Astraea had the ability to kill her since she knew Jenna's name (or at least most of it). But that couldn't be true, Jenna herself had acquired the ability to kill from Astraea so wouldn't she too be able to kill Astraea?

No, that couldn't be so. If Astraea had given her the ability to kill criminals, she could just as easily snatch that power away from her if she even dared to think of betrayal.

Maybe that fear had sprouted from the underlying betrayal she had felt from Astraea. Traitorously, Astraea had brought two others into her group and Jenna couldn't help but feel rather threatened. Both of the intruders could easily discover her name (if they didn't know already) and thus smite her where she stood. Her death would only be prevented by Astraea's interference but she doubted whether that would be enough to restrain Daniel. His looks of contempt were enough to convince Jenna that the man despised her very existence.

But if Daniel was a follower, wouldn't that mean that he too strove for justice? He would never murder her since he had no reason to. Jenna was no criminal; she followed all of Astraea's orders.

When she finally arrived home, she watched as dawn set ablaze the sky. Her house was still empty something that was extremely rare. She cast a fleeting glance at Daniel and Lea and grabbed the key from under the welcome mat. As she walked over the threshold, all she could remember were Daniel's eyes. That look of contempt that he always had. The very thought of him made her stomach twist in horror.

Her eyes flickered to the painting of Jesus her mother had on the wall. In a fit of habit, she formed the sign of the Cross and lightly kissed her fingers.

She wondered if she still truly believed in God since she now learned that Lea was Astraea. Was it possible for God to exist? Had God given Astraea her powers?

She wondered if it was blasphemous to even doubt the origin of Astraea's powers. She wondered if there was truly a heaven, if there was truly a hell.

And she wondered which she was destined for.

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><p>Donovan muttered underneath his breath as he watched Astraea drive away. He was far from content with himself. He was euphoric when Astraea had agreed to let him join her quest. He was happy that he would finally be able to help the love of his life purify this tainted world only to discover that Daniel, her jackass boyfriend that totally didn't deserve her, knew the truth as well. But there was nothing he could possibly do about it, it was obvious that Astraea liked the guy and probably didn't want Donovan to kill him though once he became useless Donovan was more than happy to take out the trash.<p>

But he supposed he was happier than he was before, now his love finally acknowledged him. Though he had to kidnap her first, she had confided in him and now he was part of their team. He was in the know and they couldn't possibly turn him away now since he knew everything. Astraea had promised to give him his first assignment the next day and he excitedly waited for that time to come. He was sitting at his desk, working to rebuild the same firewalls he had destroyed to find Astraea's identity. He couldn't allow his love to be captured by the authorities; they would simply get in the way.

He worked tirelessly and in the glow of the monitor his eyes drifted to his wrist. The skin around his carpals was etched in bright pink scars. He had never cut his skin too deep of course but just enough to watch his sluggish blood ooze out. Often times he imagined his hemoglobin cascading from wrist as though it were a grotesque fountain. Other times, he wondered how beautiful blood would look on his L—Astraea. But he would always stop himself; Astraea was so beautifully untainted. Donovan didn't want to bring harm to his love. He was pacified with the way his blood looked on his own skin.

Briefly, Donovan wondered just how it was Astraea killed the criminals. It had to be pulchritudinous, for she was a god herself and gods wouldn't dirty their own hands with the blood of vermin. No, it would be exquisitely immaculate. Donovan felt a grin of glee creep upon his face and failed to suppress it. His Astraea had such similar interests to his own.

He questioned whether Daniel also knew of Astraea's method of killing. The question set his veins on fire as he felt rage course through his bloodstream. He banged his fist on the desk in anger and tried to vent his frustrations upon the wood.

When he finally received his portion of Astraea's godly abilities he was going to ensure that Daniel was six feet under. His smile returned with a vengeance as he entertained the thought of torturing that egoist. It would be glorious and he was sure that Astraea would forgive him once he revealed his true intentions. Donovan disliked the way Daniel looked down on Astraea. It was disgusting how a mere mortal could show such disdain for a magnificent deity that was Astraea. And when Daniel was irrevocably out of the picture, it would leave Donovan free to rule along side Astraea.

Together, they would make an incredible world. One that was void of injustice and fear. They would make the world a place God never could. They would create the utopia that so many had cast away and scorned. This would be a world of no wars and senseless killings. The Earth would be a place where everyone, regardless of race or class, could coexist in harmony.

And they would rule this perfect world together.

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><p>Ryuuzaki had been the one to drag Ms. Wynter's cadaver out of the car and propel her towards the front door. The living corpse was able to stumble her way inside and to her room. Ryuuzaki followed quietly as he quickly disposed of the sunglasses and ventured into the headquarters. Playing with his blocks, Near was the only occupant in the spacious room. Matt and Mello had left to implant a bug onto the FBI's database and would be gone for a few more hours.<p>

Ryuuzaki roosted upon his swivel chair after preparing a cup of tea. He hesitated ever so slightly when the rim of the teacup touched his lips. His thoughts drifted over to a certain eccentric psychic and her current behavior. He could not say that he was concerned for her well being; he had gathered that Ms. Wynter was more than capable of caring for herself as was observed from the party. No, the woman was simply exhausted from the night's activities and merely required some rest. She would be awake late the next morning and back to her usual shenanigans.

His fingers blurred over the keys as he typed a detailed synopsis of his interrogation of Miss Abel. The blonde had been quite informative during the conversation and he had reason to believe that the woman was not completely as drunk as her companions had thought. Though the alcohol had definitely blurred her judgment, her memory had been remarkably accurate as she illustrated the event of the stabbing in astonishingly concise details.

He had been able to deduce that Miss Abel was not Astraea nor did she have any idea of Astraea's true identity. But her words implied as though her friend Miss Reynolds was more than capable. Miss Abel had described her comrade as charismatic, intelligent with strict morals. This description was enough to raise Miss Reynolds' percentage nearly five percent. And that number only continued to rise as he watched the video.

His fingers froze in midair as he listened to the silence. With Ms. Wynter unconscious, the headquarters had been marked by stillness; though it was most likely due to the combined absence of Mello and Ms. Wynter. His mind wandered upstairs to Ms. Wynter's room.

Ms. Wynter had never been a quiescent sleeper. She often screamed and thrashed but would soon quiet herself only to shatter the new found silence with another shriek of terror. The others had left her alone since they were aware of her abilities. Ryuuzaki could only wonder what her parents had thought during her childhood and adolescence. Impulsively, he brought up Ms. Wynter's legal documents and stared at her birth certificate.

Ryuuzaki stared at the names of Ms. Wynter's parents. Her background was of little interest. Her life was void of any tragedies. Both pairs of grandparents had died before her birth and her parents were both without siblings. She had never broken a bone nor had she ever been involved in a vehicle accident. Ryuuzaki could not help but think back when Ms. Wynter had been so distraught. She had screamed of an unborn child, the unborn child her parents had lost.

More documents flashed onto the computer screen. Her mother had experienced several miscarriages after Wynter's birth.

He wondered how it felt to lose a sibling one never had. Ms. Wynter, no doubt, had experienced that same situation every time she shut her eyes.

He wondered if she ever regretted her life, her abilities. If she had ever wished to be rid of her powers and live like the other humans on this planet. If she had ever questioned why she had been designated for this gift.

They were more similar than it appeared. But whereas he had willfully chosen to ostracize himself, she had made efforts to integrate into society like any other human. She had even adopted an addiction to sedate her dreams and allow her to live as close to normal as physically possible.

Her unyielding personality was admirable but also foolish. She would never be able to reach her full potential pursuing an unexceptional life.

He had become the world's greatest detective because of his self-imposed isolation from humanity. His work demanded an unbiased, detached mentality and logically he attained this mindset from solitariness.

But in the grand scheme of things, was it worth it?

Was it worth sacrificing his humanity to pursue criminals and seek justice for the world?

He wondered how his life would be if he had chosen Ms. Wynter's approach. How different would his life be if he had chosen humanity and selfishness?

The sudden rush of inner turmoil was stoically pushed aside.

Perhaps he did understand a bit of Ms. Wynter's inner restlessness and turbulence.

His eyes were unblinking as the monitor cast a pale glow unto his face.


End file.
